Defunct!

This is the end.

I'm no longer updating this page, it's been over a year since I last posted and my creativity (visual arts, at least) levels are at like 1.75% post-school. I feel like I've had the life sucked out of me. I still appreciate art, and maybe one day I'll get back into it. But now when I try I just can't manage to concentrate long enough to work.

So this is good bye, and thank you if you've ever commented or followed or enjoyed this blog.

Ps, a few links to things you may enjoy:

• http://illy93.deviantart.com/ - if I do post anything, it will be located at this website. In fact it's probably got a lot more recent material than is on this page, so feel free to take a gander.
• A Silent Youth

Reverie

Reverie - glue, paper and image, edited and computer generated.

I have been dying to participate in Inspire Me Thursday again for months, but simply haven't gotten around to it. Life is hectic, as usual. But this week - today in fact - I finally found use for the image of Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière that was posted as the week's prompt.

I was stumped looking at this old oil painting, thinking I'd have never been able to interpret or appropriate the image as my own creation. I'm not much of a collage artist, so that was out the window. And I just couldn't be bothered drawing it and stuffing that up.

Then, quite by accident really, this afternoon I stumbled across a list of surrealist techniques on Wikipedia. Whilst looking at some of the awesome things surrealists do, I discovered the idea of "Cubomania". Basically, a photograph or any other image is cut up into small squares. It is then arranged in a manner that aims not to reconstruct the image but rather dissect it, thus scattering complex visual language that may have otherwise been unseen. The eye catches bits and pieces of the composition it would otherwise have overlooked.

So that's exactly what I did. I downloaded the image of Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière from the link on flickr provided within the IMT prompt, then cropped the image and drew up its squares. After having crafted all the lines, the squares where cut, as was a piece of paper to size of the cropped image. I arranged the squares in quite a randomised fashion, then scanned it onto my computer.

From there, I edited the image. I changed the colour to a monochromatic scale. Then, reproduced the image in a flipped fashion - the original image resting beside it - in order to create more interest.

And there you have it, a day dream, a strange reverie created by me and inspired by Madame Rivière.

Mother and Son

"Mother and Son" - 2B, 4B and 8B graphite on litho paper

I finally completed this artwork "Mother and Son" Thursday night, after many hours of sketching and shading. It was due in on Friday as it's my year 11 major work. I'm quite ecstatic to say I got full marks for it, 25/25.

This is based on a legal case involving a mother and son who murdered the husband/father in their family after enduring his abuse for many years. It was said that the mother and son shared a strange and incredibly strong psychological connection, and that the killing was a promise to the son from the mother.

I didn't want to portray the act of the murder (they drugged him and decapitated him with a tomahawk they bought from K-Mart, in case you're interested). But rather, show the twisted individuals who felt they had to kill to be freed from such oppression.

Sugarcandy Mountain

Sugarcandy Mountain - watercolour pencil on paper

I completed this drawing/painting today. I'm not sure what to classify it really, as watercolour pencils confuse me. Your work is essentially a drawing, but you've enhanced it with a brush and water. See what I mean?

I often dream of landscapes like this. Vivid colours and poignant geographic features. Surreal nature, and yet not Dali-esque visions. I couldn't think of anything better to call this than "Sugarcandy Mountain", although looking at it, it's quite the opposite to the crow's alluded heaven in Animal Farm. It's rather apocalyptic, in a children's story book kind of way I suppose. Well, that's what I see at least.

I'm getting to like colour better, but I dread actual paints. I find it easier to work with watercolour pencils if I want that effect - easier to tone, easier to handle. It's been months since I last used acrylic and I find myself shuddering at the thought of "real" paint. The drying time is pain-staking for someone as "now-oriented" as me. There's always a greater level of cleaning involved - palettes, palette knives, paintbrushes, and wiping over any surfaces defaced in the art-making process.

Then there's the worse of it: the stench of acrylics. My face goes numb, with just the memory of it. I've never used oil paints and I've heard they smell worse. So overall, watercolour or watercolour pencils seem to be a better choice. I can't handle the liquid, tubed watercolour varieties though. They have a particular scent to them as well.

Anyway, the holidays are proving to be therapeutic and productive for me.

Old Bird

"Old Bird" - brush & ink, and pen & ink on paper

This afternoon I felt compelled to bring to life a sketch that lay in wait in my art journal. This Old Bird is very much inspired by an even older IMT prompt from around July - "Owl". I actually contributed a photograph of an owl ring for IMT that week, and this quick sketch never saw the light of day again. Until this afternoon that is.

I'm thinking of starting a series on animal masks like this, where the person sort of adapts a characteristic of that animal. This woman with the owl mask is raising her shoulders inwards as if about to squawk or thrust her head and neck out. She's an old and very irritable bird, indeed.

I've never found much inspiration in animals or even been able to draw creatures, as I said when I made my giraffe linocut prints for my mum. But sometimes it's how you actually appropriate a motif to suit your own cause that sets you off.

In The Works...

I know I haven't contributed anything in forever, so I thought I'd give an update. Basically, I've just finished year 11 and commence year 12 at the beginning of the next school term. It's kind of scary, but kind of an accomplishment at the same time... especially considering all the preliminary year exams I had to complete before the end of this term. Phew.

But now with a two week holiday, I have time to work on some art projects which is just fantastic! One thing I have to do over the break, in addition to one other assignment, is get my Body of Work for my art class pretty much completed. It should be fun, but it'll be time consuming.

2B, 4B & 8B graphite on paper

The concept behind it is the murder of a husband/father by a mother and son that I read about whilst completing a media file for my Legal Studies class about 2 months ago. Apparently they shared this really intense psychological connection, and that's what I want to illustrate.

It took me about 8 hours to get the Mother's face done, but I think it would probably have been less if I hadn't had to lose 10 minutes every art class to packing away equipment and ensuring my work had been stored properly. Still, you can't rush these things. So the Son will take as long as it needs to be done.

brush & ink, and pen & ink on paper

I'm really enjoying working with inks still as an alternative to paint. I did this first work (above) a couple of nights ago, subconsciously reflecting some bad news I received lately. I hadn't given it much thought and then bam! It's in my art. The second piece (below) was done about 6 weeks ago after I'd gone to a Parkway Drive concert a few nights before, feeling absorbed by a new culture. I guess it's kind of mirroring what it was like being swallowed by a crowd, although the figure is male.

pen & ink on paper

Other than all this, not much has been going on. Although, a movie is being filmed in my town. It's based on a John Marsden novel, "Tomorrow When The War Began", and it's going to have the same name. Some of my friends are extras, and I'm regretting that I didn't apply but oh well. Seeing my friends on screen is good enough for me :)

Twisted Sisters

Twisted Sisters - 2B, 4B, & 8B graphite; compressed black charcoal, and white charcoal drawing on paper

The body of work I have created for my art class. I am yet to receive a mark. The concept behind these drawings are self-image, how one presents themselves, and how other people can distort that image. This is not in any way related to body image.

Giraffes for Mum

Linocut print, approx 30 x 30 cm

It's been a long time since I've had a chance to post, or even been inspired to.

I finally was able to print a lino block I had crafted for my mum, who's favourite animals are giraffes. It turned out relatively well. Personally, I'm not fond of depicting animals as an artistic subject. But mum seems to like it, which is all that matters.

Breaking It Down

(compressed black charcoal, white charcoal, 2B, 4B & 8B graphite on paper)

I made this for my body of work on the human body - hahaha, a play on words - at school. I have a couple more to do yet. But this is the first completed one. I'll be mounting it on black card. I've cropped this image digitally to what I want it to like like, but I'll have to cut it in real life.

The concept of this image deals with misinterpretation of who a person is / what they stand for. This is a distort external self, that everyone sees. This is not about body image or anorexia or whatever. This is about self worth.

Cheek to Cheek

When I began to design my next lino print, I decided I would ask my mother if she wanted me to make something for her. I've never painted or drawn or created anything for anyone other than myself before, as artmaking to me has always seemed something personal and exclusive - very much an expression of self. So it truly is an odd phenomenon to be making art for someone else.

I know that she particularly likes lino prints. She was rather pleased when I brought home my Venus prints, and she has - what we expect to be - a linocut print of a platypus hanging in our house, it looks embellished (touched-up) to me.

Anyway, I simply enquired as to whether there was anything she'd like me to picture in it. And, because her favourite animal - other than the platypus - is the giraffe, she requested that I created a print of them.

The quick sketch, before it was transferred

I accepted the challenge, and on Google Images found a rather lovely photograph of - what is presumably - a mother giraffe leaning down towards her baby. They were cheek to cheek, and I knew it was something that would make my Mum happy. After all. I'm her only baby. I adapted it to a quick sketch and then transfered it to the linoleum square (30 x 30 cm), of which I was aware it would be printed backwards.

The actual lino square, complete with carving haha :)

Long story short; I didn't feel that I'd be able to draw it opposite to the original, but whilst I drew and carved I frequently held it infront of the mirror - making sure it was symmetrical enough not to be freakishly disproportionate.

Showing the cuts

I've finished the carving, shaded over it with a piece of paper to check my cuts. Now all that's left is buying some larger paper for the printing process. Back to Eckersley's haha.

IMT: Chalk

A really slack effort on my behalf, I've been busy once again which is my usual excuse. The real deal: productive procrastination. Earlier on in the year I took this photo randomly of the chalk board in my photography class...

I totally promise I will try harder next week. I will make an effort. No more slacking off and waiting until the Tuesday or Wednesday to get something randomly done.

This is part of my 101 Things, which I'm struggling with at the moment.

Ink and Graphite

Soul Comes Out - ink & pen in VAPD

I'm really loving working with ink and pen lately. I've also rediscovered my passion for graphite drawings.

This first ink drawing was an impulsive drawing and I think it was influenced by those face mugs you see around. Revolting things they are.

Abstract Female Form - 2B, 4B & 8B graphite in VAPD

This second drawing is more or less inspired once again by the armless "Venus di Milo", and Brett Whiteley, and many of my previous odd nude drawings. It's not finished yet, but I'm doing a series of works similar to this for a body of work at school: I think. I've not decided yet. If I do, I think they'll be a mixed media work.

The world seems a little better since I got my muse back :)

Child Art

As part of IMT's theme of "Child Art" this week, I've created a child-like drawing inspired by my own childhood drawings. I used pretty pink paper like I would have, and a felt-tip pen. Gosh. I really love felt-tip pens when I was younger.

I thought about the way I used to draw, and soon I found - almost straight away - that I had channeled my inner child and crafted something that could easily have been mistaken as something I'd done aged 4 or 5. It was amazing, to pick up on that.

I used to draw like mad - almost obsessively - as a child. Pens were my main tool, and paper. I grew up in an office, basically. I often made little books aswell, and asked Mum how to spell illustrated, so I could scrawl on the front of these stapled pages "Written and illustrated by Sarah I...".

We still have many of my drawings and the little books I created.

A later entry in the week, but I've really enjoyed this topic and getting to re-visit my child self.

IMT

While I haven't created anything just yet, I'm really stoked that my suggestion of "Child Art" was chosen for Inspire Me Thursday this week.

I really hope everyone has fun with this topic, as I know I will. I'm really motivated this week to create something messy like Aelita Andre, or something primal like the drawings I made when I was little.

I can't wait to see how everyone interprets the theme :)

Poem: "Letters"

I've been experimenting with poetry lately, as part of one particular challenge in my Day Zero Project. Number 27: Write a poem a day for a month. This wasn't for the challenge, but one of my other tasks is doing IMT everyweek for the duration of the 1001 days (143 weeks). There are more poems on my other blog, if you'd care to have a look.

Here goes.

...

"Letters"

If I were to post this today
Dear Postmaster,
would this fragment of my sould reach my
Dear John,
in time?

Do you think that it could arrive tomorrow
Dear Postmaster,
if I were lucky?
Dear John
don't think I didn't get yours.
It was the fault of our
Dear Postmaster
that you didn't get it back straight away,
if only it were to be: the very next day,
as I had yours.

Inks & Lino

Just a quick update. I'm rather glad, you see, as I'm beginning to find a bit of inspiration again. Hoorah! This Queen's Birthday long weekend has been going quite well.

Pen & ink experiment.

On Saturday Mum and I went into Newcastle to buy some art supplies. One of the new goodies I bought was an ink nib and pen to work with at home. I've always had an interest in inks, but it wasn't until this year at school that I developed one for pen & ink. I'd only ever used brush & ink. A totally different method really does alter the image you create. I'm having fun working with cross-hatching. It's a strange way to shade, but it's growing on me. The ink drawing above was something I crafted this morning, just randomly. A quick sketch, and then it was inked.

Lino print equipment.

I also bought some lino printing materials: silk-cut linoleum squares (30 x 30 cm), block ink, lino carving tools, and rollers. I really should have made a point of buying some paper while I was there. It took me until we arrived home at 4pm that day (we did make a point of staying in town all day) to realise my 11 x 14 " VAPD would be large enough to print on. Silly, silly illy.

In addition to all of these I got some charcoals: willow and compressed. I've never had proper charcoal at home for drawing, so that's really nice too.

I've suddenly got a lot more motivation and inspiration on the art front. Part of it, I think, is staring the Day Zero Project; in which I will attempt to complete 101 preset tasks in 1001 days. My blog that will be journalling my challenge and all it entails is located here.

Things are going alright :)

Sunny's Cafe

On Saturday, Mum and I went into Newcastle for a while and what was originally intended as being a quick run in for art supplies soon turned into a long, yet really fun day. One of the highlights was having lunch at Sunny's Cafe, in Islington.

Sunny's is an organic vegetarian and vegan cafe, who do serve gluten free meals. All the ingredients are bought locally, so you know they're fresh (and you can certainly taste it). The eggs used in the restraunt are free range and come from the Tilligery area, not too far away.

The restraunt is owned and run by a lovely lady named Amanda, who is a vegetarian herself. She happily chats to you as she gets her many tasks done, and you can really tell she has a passion for what she does. The atmosphere is really cozy, calm and you immediately feel at home. There's music playing softly in the background and a number of rotating works on exhibition by local artists, which you are able to purchase. The restraunt also does catering and cafe hire!

So now on to the best part: THE FOOD.

The meals are scrumptious, and even meat-eaters (like my Mum) who dine in are amazed at how fresh and tasty Sunny's cuisine is. As a vegan, it's nice knowing that I can get a delicious meal pretty fast, either dine-in or take-away, at Sunny's. There is a set menu, but also a variety of specials so there's plenty of variety. The lunches mum and I had were on the regular menu.

Sun Pocket Wrap - vegan style

I had the Sun Pocket Wrap vegan-style (the vegetarian version of the meal has cheese), which was very yummy. The salad in the wrap was so crisp, and really complimented the lentil patty and hummus (all "home-made" :D) which were just to die for. Seriously.

"The Feast" - vegetarian

My Mum, who is neither vegetarian or vegan, really enjoyed her "Feast" of Tilligery eggs, fried vegetables and salad; with a side plate of avocado on multigrain toast that I did not photograph. She also really enjoyed her coffee. All the coffees and teas at Sunny are fair trade too :)

I would have loved to try one of Sunny's fresh juices or a smoothie, but I was a bit full after my meal. I had a Phoenix organic cola with my lunch, which was really nice. Next time the juice is on the agenda.

Long story short, Sunny's Cafe is great! If you are in Newcastle - regardless of whether you eat meat or not - definitely rock up at Sunny's for a good meal, or even a quick coffee.

Sunny's Cafe logo

Sunny's Cafe:
86 Maitland Road,
Islington, NSW
2296

Phone: (02) 4962 1304

Open Wednesday - Sunday.
Wednesday : 9am - 4pm
Thursday : 9am - 4pm
Friday : 9am - 3pm
Friday (night) : 6pm - 9pm
Saturday : 9am - 3pm
Saturday (night): 6pm - 9pm
Sunday : 9am - 4pm

"Venus" Coloured

Linocut print & oil pastels

We were told to colour one of the poorer prints we made in class with out linocuts. So I got out the oil pastels. I think I'm going to touch up the yucky bits that didn't print good with some black paint.

I've had to cut some of the prints to fit them in my VAPD.

I'm going out to buy my own lino squares and carving tools today, as I've mentioned before, I'm quite fond of this medium.

"Venus" Linocut Print

Linocut print 2 /3 (so far). Approx 30 x 30 cm.

In my art class at school we have been creating artworks that revolve around the human body. One task we have had to complete recently is designing our own simple linocut prints of a size of approx 30 square cm (1 square foot); obviously featuring the body or body parts.

I researched Linocut printing on Wikipedia and apparently it's a modern and cheaper adaptation of the comparatively ancient woodcut printing. So there you go. It's an altered ancestor.

I'm truly sorry that this has nothing to do with one of my beloved oldies, it's simply that at a time like this - one when I've got no inspiration - when I still want to participate in IMT I have to twist things a bit. I think this printmaking exercise has really combatted my creative block.

I love lino printing now. It's awesome fun. The designing, carving the block, inking and printing. Well. I love it all except for the cuts I've gotten on my hands from my own stupidity at times. Hem-hem. I really want to keep making lino prints. I'm going to Eckersley's to buy my own pieces of linoleum and some carving tools, block ink and rollers. AND good paper, of course.

This is one of the best prints I've gotten thus far from the linocut I've designed. Print number 2 / 3... thus far. It's inspired by the Venus di Milo.

Experimentation...

Ink pen, charcoal and graphite in VAPD

I have just been so lazy lately with drawing and art lately. I've had some really good things in terms of inspiration over the past few weeks, but as soon as I put pencil to paper I just lose it.
I'm lacking energy in everything: art, guitar, school, exercise. Especially school & exercise. I've been sick 3 weeks in May alone - from 2 or 3 different illnesses - and I feel so bored and lethargic and fat. I've only been to school 4 days over those 3 weeks, and I haven't been to the gym in a month or so. That's BAD. I had a viral cold and my monthlies for a week and a half, was on antibiotics and then just as I was starting to get better I got a tummy bug that started from my little cousin - and it's been attacking the whole family.

Basically, this afternoon I decided I was going to combat this artistic impairment. I told myself: just draw something. Muck around with mediums and texture and imagery. It doesn't matter what you freakin' do. JUST DO SOMETHING.

This isn't good by any standards. I just thought I'd post it to keep motivating myself. SO: I am soldiering on. Which is technically kind of a play on IMT's theme of "warrior" this week. I know. Tacky. But oh well.